Field of the Invention
The invention relates to walkers and other similar devices that assist people in the act of walking and climbing stairs.
Discussion of Prior Art
The conventional walker is a well-known device that has a U-shaped frame formed by two pairs of legs that define the sides of the walker, each pair having a front leg and a rear leg that are connected at the top by a grip bar and a crossbar that connects the two front legs, thereby forming an opening or well for a person to stand in. The walker is typically about waist high, with the front slightly wider than the width of the user. The two sides are approximately 12 inches deep at the grip bar, i.e., the front and rear legs are approximately 12 inches apart at the top, but the distance between the legs gradually increases in the direction of the floor, for reasons of stability. A user uses the walker by standing in the well, gripping the grip bar, and pushing or moving the walker forward approximately the distance of a normal step, and then stepping into the well, to repeat the pushing motion, all the while holding on to the grip bars.
While the standard walker works well on flat and smooth surfaces, it is not as useful when climbing stairs, because the distance between the front and rear legs is significantly greater than the depth of a step on a standard staircase. The fact that the legs of the walker don't all fit on a single step makes it difficult for a user to pause for a rest when going up or down a staircase. When ascending a staircase, the user can lean into the walker for support, but descending a staircase with a walker is a treacherous adventure for the user, because the walker is always in danger of tumbling down the stairs, unless the user holds it in place. Manual adjustments to the lengths of the legs are sometimes possible, however, this requires a tedious process of turning the walker upside down and manually adjusting each leg. In effect, using a conventional walker on a staircase requires more strength, balance, and skill than the typical user is able to exert.
Some walkers deploy mechanical systems to raise or lower the front or rear legs, and this allows the walker to remain in a stable position while supported on two adjacent steps. However, these walkers only allow for the front legs or the rear legs to move in tandem and do not allow for individual leg movement or side-only leg movement. The known walkers also implement mechanical mechanisms that include relatively heavy equipment and are often cumbersome to operate.
What is needed, therefore, is a light weight walker with legs that are independently adjustable. What is further needed is such a walker that is easy to operate.